Thursday, December 15, 2011

‘Eat Galway’, the unifying brand and philosophy behind some Galway’s favourite restaurants, Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar, Aniar Restaurant and Eat at Massimo has launched a new gift voucher just in time for Christmas. The gift voucher can be redeemed at any of the three ‘Eat Galway’ restaurants – three choices from one gift for someone special.

The restaurants of ‘Eat Galway’ are guided by one philosophy: good food, local suppliers and artisan produce. JP McMahon explains, “‘Eat Galway’ represents our philosophy of producing good, tasty, artisan food and working with local suppliers. That philosophy unifies our three diverse restaurants, Cava, Aniar and Eat. While people can choose between these three unique places to dine, they can be assured that at any of the ‘Eat Galway’ restaurants they will enjoy delicious seasonal food that has been locally sourced and produced in a sustainable way.”

Situated on Dominick Street in Galway city’s West End, Cava Spanish Restaurant & Tapas Bar recently won ‘Ethnic Restaurant of the Year 2012’ in the ‘Georgina Campbell Ireland Hospitality Awards’. Offering a truly Spanish experience Cava’s ‘50-dish tour of Spanish cuisine in miniature’ menu is in the Spanish language, with English sub-titles; while the wine list includes 80 well-chosen Spanish bottles. Cava prides itself on purchasing local and free-range produce and is committed to remaining ethical with regard to food sustainability and seasonality. It is recommended by both Georgina Campbell’s restaurant guide and the Bridgestone guide, and called “one of the most authentic Spanish restaurants in Ireland at present” by Sebastian Black, of ‘Spanish Flavour’. Tom Doorley has said that it serves the “best Tapas in Ireland.”

Critically acclaimed Aniar’s kitchen is run by Enda McEvoy of Cook Wild Project and former Head Chef of Sheridan’s on the Docks. Enda explains the inspiration of Aniar, “The food is based on our local ‘terroir’, that is the ensemble of natural influences that give a food a sense of place. Here in the west we are surrounded by lush ancient woodland, bountiful shorelines, thriving farmlands all heaving with some of the best ingredients in Europe but unique to us. We quite simply obey the seasons and let nature decide our menu.”

Staff at Aniar work closely with local producers while also gathering wild herbs, plants and seaweeds each day from the woodlands and seashore around the area to produce a cuisine based around light clean flavours.

The third eatery that comprises ‘Eat Galway’is Eatat Massimo, a gastro pub experience on William Street in Galway. The menu features pub food with gourmet flair. Highlights include gastro pizzas featuring Irish cheeses such as roast potato, caramelized onion and Wicklow Blue cheese and Eat signature dishes of the 5oz Stout Burger while constantly in keeping with what’s seasonal. Current offerings include seasonal game, such as venison, duck and pheasant, all wild and direct from Dromoland Castle. Recent celeb-spotting include Bell X1 and a host of comedians and artists, the food at Eat is not your usual pub food. Not by a long shot. As per the Cava and Aniar philosophy locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal ingredients feature strongly. All the vegetable are organic, chicken is free range from Athenry and meats are sourced from the award winning Castlemine Farm in Roscommon.

To purchase an Eat Galway voucher and give someone you love three choices from one voucher telephone 091 539 884.

Source Sligo is calling all entries for a Christmas Gingerbread House making competition for this Friday 16th December. The competition is open to children of all ages with recipes and templates available on the Source website.

Each entry costs €10 which will be donated to the Saint Vincent De Paul Society. Top prizes include Kids Cookery Course from Source Sligo plus other goodies from Source Sligo.

Competition closes at 3pm on Friday afternoon with judging taking place on Saturday evening at 4pm. There will also be an auction hosted by Shane Flanagan from DNG Ford Auctioneers who will be auctioning off the houses at bargain basement prices for all Hansel and Gretel’s to get their hands on the tasty properties.

Try your hand at making an exciting tasty house or pop along to Source Sligo on Saturday where all the entries will be on display and enjoy complimentary mince pies and mulled wine. It’s all part of the Source Sligo 1st Birthday Celebrations. All proceeds going to St. Vincent De Paul.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

If you plan on gigging anytime over the Christmas holidays or New Year get into Eat in Massimo for some soul food beforehand. All gig-goers can avail of a 10% discount on their food bill when planning a trip to Roisin Dubh afterwards.

Upcoming gigs at Roisin Dubh include Lisa Hannigan, The Kanyu Tree, Grandmaster Flash plus many more and with some soul-warming food from Eat like their gourmet burgers and pizzas or roast beef and free range chicken dishes.

Or get a group together and enjoy their very reasonable and very delicious Party Food Menu or Platters for Sharing and get your groove on.

Monday, December 5, 2011

"How about roast pork shoulder, leftover from Christmas dinner, to have on Stephen's Day...
1. Roast 170 C for 4 hours approx - 1kg pork rubbed with ground fennel seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper (this could be part of the Christmas dinner)
2. Keep the leftover meat and the juices and on Stephen's Day, moisten the pork meat with the cooking juices
3. Pre-heat the oven to 250C and top the base with 5tbsp of your own tomato sauce
4. Scatter about 120 grams Taleggio cheese along with about one and a half handfuls of shredded pork per pizza
5. Sprinkle some thyme leaves with a little olive oil and cook for 4-5 mins.
6. Once the pizza is crisp and golden, dress it with a little rocket tossed in some lemon juice - slice, serve and enjoy!
(and let us know how you get on- post a pic up if you can)".

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Source Sligo is celebrating after being bestowed the Good Food Ireland Supreme Award at a ceremony attended by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin this week. Source Sligo won the most prestigious award of the night as Good Food Ireland believes that Source is “set to be the source of inspiration for anyone who loves buying, cooking and eating good local food.”

Speaking at the Good Food Ireland awards ceremony Margaret Jeffares, Managing Director, Good Food Ireland applauded the award winners and the Good Food Ireland network of businesses for their continuous commitment to the purchasing of local food; “It is only through serving our customers and international visitors to Ireland the food of our country and by telling them the story behind it that we can become a unique food tourism destination,” said Ms Jeffares. Over 300 guests including hoteliers, restaurateurs, farmers, food producers and fishermen as well as key dignitaries attended the event.

Joe Grogan, General Manger of Source Sligo commented, “We are absolutely delighted with recent award win. The Good Food Ireland is an inspiring network like minded people and businesses who promote local, Irish produce, its philosophy being of particular relevance to our own. To win the Supreme Award is unprecedented and very much appreciated. The team at Source Sligo work very hard, it’s wonderful to get recognition of this”.

Other award winners at the event include Glenilen Farm, Cork for ‘Best Food Producer’, The Cliff House Hotel in Waterford for ‘Culinary Hotel’, The Chocolate Garden, Co Carlow for ‘Come and See Food Producer’, Sheelin Tea Shop in Enniskillen for ‘Best Café’, Chapter One in Dublin for ‘Best Restaurant’, The Oarsman in Carrick-on-Shannon for ‘Best Food Pub’, Rua in Castlebar for ‘Best Local Food Shop’ and Aldridge Lodge in Duncannon, Co Wexford for ‘Culinary Haven’.

Situated in the heart of Sligo town on John Street, Source Sligo includes a large open-plan restaurant on the ground floor, a wine bar on the first floor and a state-of-the-art Cookery School on the top Floor.Visit www.SourceSligo.ie or call 071 9147605 for more information.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

ProPundit.com, the sports prediction website for the time-poor and knowledge-rich sports fan, has been shortlisted for a prestigious Eircom Spider Award. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in the Convention Centre in Dublin on 10th November 2011. The Eircom Spider Awards honour Irish individuals and organisations for their outstanding achievements online and celebrate the successes of the Irish internet and digital media.

Established last July by Armour Interactive, ProPundit.com allows players to compete against friends and colleagues in sports prediction games. Unlike other fantasy sport and prediction games ProPundit takes up no more than 5 or 10 minutes of a players time each week.

Andrew Dewdney, Director, Armour Interactive said, “We’re absolutely delighted that ProPundit.com been shortlisted for recognition by Ireland’s premier technology awards. ProPundit.com has gone from strength to strength over the past number of months. It’s formula of entertaining and rewarding games that are much less time demanding than, say fantasy football type games has proved to be a winning one.”

ProPundit.com games can be sport specific or can span a number of sports from football and hurling to golf and NFL. The designers plan on expanding the number of sports in the future to include GAA, soccer, golf, tennis and rugby to cater for all possible tastes. Having its roots in Ireland means there are local sporting questions relating to GAA and other national sporting highlights.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Monday 7th November Magda Navarrete will present authentic Flamenco dancing and music from the Spanish region of Andalucia originated by the Andalucian Gypsies in Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar.

"Magda Navarrete has mastered flamenco singing and dancing while studying in Madrid, working with internationally renowned flamenco teachers such as Montse Cortez. She has taken part in various flamenco festivals in Southern America and Europe while working on such projects as Indialucia, Arte Flamenco.

Magda will be accompanied by one of the finest guitarists Andrzej Lewocki who has recently took 2nd place during the Nino Ricardo Flamenco Guitar Festival in Murcia, Spain. Andrzej has worked on international flamenco projects and is often running flamenco workshops".

There is no cover charge for the event. Show starts at 8pm. See www.CavaRestaurant.ie for more information.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Source Sligo, the restaurant, wine bar and cookery school based in the heart of Sligo town, has launched a new range of freshly prepared homemade fares that can be enjoyed in the comfort of home. Including meat, chicken and fish dishes; vegetables dishes, salads and sauces; olive oils, pestos and condiments, all of the produce is freshly prepared daily on site by Source Sligo chefs. The vast majority of the ingredients are Irish and locally sourced, and organic where possible.

Alan Fitzmaurice, Source Sligo Head Chef said, “Our philosophy here at Source Sligo is to produce delicious, wholesome food from quality, locally sourced ingredients. Our ‘Own Produce’ range means that people can enjoy Source Sligo foods in the comfort of their own homes. The range provides the convenience of ‘ready meals’, without compromising on quality or taste, while supporting local Irish food producers.”

“Our meats are supplied by Sligo based Clarke’s butchers and Burns Meats; our chickens are reared by Manor Foods in Monaghan while Thornhill Farm in Cavan supply our duck. We grow our own salad leaves and herbs while our vegetables are supplied by Crimlin Farm Organic in Tobercurry, Sligo. Our breads are freshly baked on site daily by our two bakers. Brown loaves, yeast breads, brioche, poppy or pumpkin seed breads are just some of a wide selection available,” said Fitzmaurice.

Ideal for lunch on the go or restaurant style dinners at home, Source Sligo’s ‘Own Produce’ includes Thai curries, Dingle stews and fish pies.Those who have enjoyed sauces and dips while dining in the Source Sligo restaurant can bring that delicious taste home in the form of Basil and Walnut pesto, Black Olive Tapenade, Duck or Chicken Liver Pate to name but a few. A selection of jams and chutneys include Red Onion, Apple & Ginger, Blackberry & Apple jams and Spicy Apple chutney.

Hampers of Source Sligo’s ‘Own Produce’ range are also on offer and can include a selection of foods, juices, wines and sauces. Hampers can be custom made, tailored to a customer’s individual tastes.

Situated in the heart of Sligo town on John Street, Source Sligo includes a large open-plan restaurant on the ground floor, a wine bar on the first floor and a state-of-the-art Cookery School on the Top Floor.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Source Sligo Cookery School is running a number of Christmas cooking classes between now and December, to prepare the novice, inspire the dab hand and offer scrumptious solutions for a meat-free Christmas feast. Sign up to the class of your choice, don an apron and you’ll be clocking up those brownie points in no time.

A range of classes are available, each providing solutions to cooking conundrums, and ideas about how to make entertaining for family and friends look easy.With hints and tips on stress-free Christmas entertaining, guidance on how to make mouth-watering meals for both vegans and vegetarians and delicious Christmas recipes, Source Sligo’s classes are a must for cooking enthusiasts.

Eithne O’Sullivan, Source Sligo Cookery School Managersaid, “Christmas cooking should be fun, relaxed and enjoyable, but between cooking for large numbers of guests and pressure to prepare the perfect Christmas meal, it can be a stressful experience. Our classes are designed to provide tried and tested hints and tips on what to prepare in advance so that when guests arrive the cook can sit and relax without slaving in the kitchen. We’re also running classes on alternative, meat-free Christmas meals to help cooks cater for vegetarian guests. Our ‘Taste of Turkey’ class will answer the age old question of how to make delicious dishes with turkey leftovers. Essentially, the aim of the classes is to offer a wealth of cooking know-how, while, most importantly, putting the fun back into Christmas cooking.”

Classes start at €25. Booking is essential and early booking is recommended as each class holds limited numbers. Visit www.sourcesligo.ie for a full list of classes available or call 071 9140266for more information.

Source Sligo Cookery School is located on the top floor of Source Sligo, the impressive three-storey restaurant, wine bar and cookery school set in the heart of Sligo town. An ethos that drives Source Sligo - that of sourcing local, quality and seasonal produce, will be echoed throughout the classes.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Source Sligo Cookery School and Beltra Country Market will host a ‘Dinner 4 Bóthar’ evening at Source Sligo on Friday 28th October between 6:00pm and 8:30pm. With delicious, freshly prepared Halloween themed dishes to sample; face painting for younger foodies and Halloween craft demonstrations, there will be something for all tastes.

Food enthusiasts can watch Source Sligo chefs preparing a range of tasting plates to tempt the taste buds, using fresh, locally sourced ingredients kindly donated by Source Sligo suppliers, Beltra Country Market and Total Produce Fruit and Vegetables. Ocean FM will add to the atmosphere by broadcasting live from Source Sligo during the evening.

Eithne O’Sullivan, Source Sligo Cookery School Manager said, “It promises to be a really fun evening in aid of a great cause. Donations from €5.00 will be gratefully received with all proceeds going directly to Bóthar. We hope that the event will go some way towards helping Bóthar to raise the €50,000 it is aiming to raise with its ‘Dinner 4 Bóthar’ initiative. Come along at any stage of the evening to be part of a fun and worthwhile event”. Students from St Angela’s College, Sligo have generously agreed to donate their time assisting at the event.

Source Sligo Cookery School is located on the top floor of Source Sligo, the impressive three-storey restaurant, wine bar and cookery school set in the heart of Sligo town. An ethos that drives Source Sligo - that of sourcing local, quality and seasonal produce, will be echoed throughout the evening.

Bóthar, celebrating 20 years in existence in 2011, uses livestock in its development aid projects. Using farm animals such as dairy heifers and dairy goats, Bóthar together with project partners, works with poor families and communities in the Developing World to help alleviate hunger and poverty.

Simon Heaslip of Massimo comments “we’re delighted Jp and Drigin will be heading up the kitchen and food service at Massimo and we welcome the launch of Eat. It’s an exciting collaboration of two excellent brands and our regulars and new customers are in for a treat in the new look Massimo”

Serving lunch, including gourmet soup and sourdough sandwiches, from 12 noon and dinner from 6pm, Eat will also be serving hearty brunches on Sundays with live music from “The Sunday Chimes” (featuring the wonderful Garrett Phillips) starting October 23rd. Children are catered for with special kids menu while groups can enjoy platters to share.

Monday, October 3, 2011

The public are invited to attend an information day on Saturday 15th October, as part of the International Palliative Medicine Conference, organised by Galway University Hospitals.

Palliative care is defined as the holistic management of pain in progressive diseases. The public day of thethird International Palliative Medicine Conference will explore ‘the who, what, where, how and why of palliative care service delivery in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.’ The session will give information on what palliative care is, how it can be managed and explore what options are available.

The organiser of the conference entitled’ ‘Cuisle Beatha’ (The Pulse of Life), Dr Dympna Waldron, explains “We have worked with local and national charities and our colleagues in Galway Hospice Foundation, Cancer Care West, the Roscommon and Mayo Homecare teams to organise the Saturday session which comprises of an ’Open Day’ for the General Public.By exploring the historic development of palliative care service; where our Services have reached to this day; where we aspire to develop into the future; we hope to allay the myths of palliative care.A session will also be devoted to an expert committee exploring questions posed by the general public.We sincerely hope by holding this ‘Open Day’ we can dissipate the fears’ of palliative care that remain to this day around the ‘belief’ that Palliative Care is consumed with the ‘Dying Phase’. Yet our belief and our experience is that our role remains, and we are committed to it, to help our patients to live well despite advanced disease and focus on improving a person’s physical reality and address relevant quality of life issues within living well. We encourage anyone interested to come along and submit any questions or concerns they may have in advance through our website as there will also be a Q&A session in the early afternoon.”The format of the conference includes presentations, discussions and stands by service care providers, charities and care associations

The first day of Cuisle Beatha is a full day devoted to the exploration of cancer pain versus chronic, non-malignant pain and is geared at medical and healthcare professionals.Dr. Waldron explains ‘As palliative medicine is still a relatively new speciality, most pioneering specialists have concentrated on service delivery, maybe now we have reached a crossroads in cancer pain research, one road leading to the development of cancer pain research as a separate entity to all other types of pain. Dr. David Finn, Professor Irene Tracy, Professor Anthony Dickenson, Dr. Anthony Byrne, Dr. John Browne, Dr. Mary Devins and myself will together combine to explore pain pathways, brain alteration, the expression of cancer and chronic pain and look to the definitions of cancer pain and chronic pain. We hope to address and answer questions such as is the definition of ‘pain’ universal or are there fundamental differences in ‘cancer pain’ versus ‘chronic non-malignant pain’ that require reconceptualization”.

Dr. Brennan has written extensively on the human rights dimensions of pain management and Palliative Care and will be relaying stories of patients in his Saturday morning public address.

The conference opens at 9am Friday 14th Radisson Blu Hotel & Spawith the public session running Saturday 15th October from 9am to 2.15pm. Entrance to Saturday session is free of charge.

For further information on the conference, to register and to submit questions for the panel please go to www.cuislebeatha.ie or call 091 591222.

Pizza Tonno e Cipolla

Pizza Prosciutto

Pizza Asparagus

Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grilled asparagus.

Pizza Siciliana

Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, anchovies, capers and fresh tomatoes.

Pizza dell’estate (summer pizza)

Cook your regular margherita but as the pizza is cooking, dice lots of fresh tomatoes and soak them in olive oil, freshly chopped garlic, salt, pepper and basil. When the pizza is ready distribute the fresh tomatoes. Garnish with a couple of basil leaves.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

A new course in catering skills is now offered to those with a passion for food and a desire to learn and develop their interest in the catering industry. The eleven week course provides an opportunity to develop basic, practical skills on a part-time basis.

The aim of the source is to provide each participant with excellent working knowledge to make them become employable in the catering industry and build a foundation to help them excel in the field.

Course Director and Cookery School Manager, Eithna O’Sullivan explains “The course has a specific focus on the practical skills required to work in the catering sector. We will spend time on theory and practical skills from hygiene and safety in the kitchen and kitchen management through to knife skills, preparing and cooking breads, soups and starters, meat, fish and vegetarian and even desserts and decorating. Funding is available for the course and we would encourage participants to enquire by attending our Open Evening next Thursday”.

To learn more about this course you are invited to attend an open morning Thursday 29th September from 11am until 1pm at the Source Sligo Cookery School. Jenny Rose Flynn MBE Skillnets will attend open morning with information on funding. The course commences Tuesday 11th Octoberand will each Tuesday from 9:30am until 3pm for 11 weeks. There will also be work experience available for qualified participants.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Authentic handmade pizza bases now available at your local supermarket. The Artisan Pizza Company has expanded their distribution of artisan pizza bases, Pizza De Piero, to over 100 stores nationwide.

Hailing from Terviso, outside Venice in Italy, Piero De Vallier is very particular about how authentic pizzas are made. Each Pizza De Piero pizza base is individually handmade over a two-day period, using only flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, salt and a very small amount of yeast.

Using only the simplest of ingredients, the difference is in Piero’s method, combining his vast experience of techniques from Italian artisan bakeries. Because of the skill and time required, this long fermentation process is very rarely used by other bread or pizza manufacturers. It ensures a light, highly digestible base that won’t leave that bloated, carb-overload feeling . In fact, with such a high level of digestibility and the polyunsaturated fats of the olive oil (containing high levels of antioxidants, omega 3, 6 and 9), these thin bases can be described as truly healthy.

Pizzas are cooked in less than 5 minutes and offer busy Mums a healthy choice for their kids while using up whatever leftovers are in the fridge. They will also freeze and defrost within minutes. The pizzas come in transparent packs of two or three and sell with the brand name ‘Pizza da Piero’. RRP is €6.50 for three bases. Look for them in the fridge department of your local Superquinn or see www.ArtisanPizza.ie or full list of stockists. This is how pizza was supposed to taste!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

"Aniar is the new venture of young chef Enda McEvoy with JP McMahon and Drigín Gaffey, who own Cava, a Spanish restaurant and tapas bar that sits next door on Galway’s Lower Dominick Street.

They’re calling themselves a terroir restaurant. The word (typically associated with wine) means a sense of place and indigenous flavour, a dig-where-you-stand approach to food. It’s all very earnest. Don’t expect to see tiger prawns or Kenyan sugar snaps here any time soon.

It’s my third trip to Galway in recent months, the first two involving excellent eating. Aniar has some stiff competition in this city".

Situated on O’Connell Street, Hargadons won a top award at the prestigious Food and Wine Magazine Awards at the weekend. The Award presented to Hargadons was for first place in Good Value in Ireland 2011.

Comments from the judging panel, "All the judges were in agreement that Hargadons pub in Sligo serves up some of the best pub grub in the country. Their menu is simple yet well thought out, costing not much more than a tenner, with their sister wine shop around the corner, the price for a decent tipple is pretty appealing too”.

Hargadons Restaurant, expertly managed by Joe Grogan and Miriam Harte has already established itself as a special venue where good quality home cooked food is served in a friendly atmosphere. Joe comments, ‘We are delighted with this win, showcasing that great value can be offered without comprising on quality. We use organically produced food where at all possible and all food is sourced locally.”Hargadons is proud to list its local suppliers on the menu. Salads and vegetables are home grown at the owner’s facility in Sligo.

Serving lunch and evening meals expect seafood specialities, salads, and a great value lunch time special of three courses all for less than 10euro. Evening meals include Crab Linguini, Steak Sandwich on Foccacia and Tiger Prawns in Chilli and Garlic all for under 11euro.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Finally Galway has a takeaway option that is more then pizza or chips. Hurrah! welcome the Cava Takeaway Menu.

Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar in Galway have launched a Takeaway Menu with a diverse range of tapas and other dishes for you to enjoy at home. Rid yourself of ‘takeaway guilt’ as all food to go is made to order and using the high quality Cava has become renowned for.

Try a Paella for two Arroz con Pollo (€18) or some of the all time Cava favourites like Patatas Bravas (€4), Spanish Omelette with Romesco sause (€5.50) and Spinach with apricots, pine nuts and garlic (€6). All tapas include homemade bread. If planning a romantic dinner you could save yourself a lot of work by ordering the Sirloin Steak with spinach, pan fired potatoes, French mushrooms and sherry cream sauce (€22.50)

Friday, August 12, 2011

"It's a vibrant and interesting place that doesn't realise how cool it really is. If this was in Dublin there would be queues out the door". A 4.5 Star review by Aingeala Flannery in today's Irish Independent.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Congratulations to Galway-based, Paul Dillon Architects has scooped yet another a prestigious accolade from the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. The 22nd RIAI Irish Architectural Award for Excellence in Architectural Design in the Best Commercial Building category was awarded to Paul Dillon Architects for the drive through restaurant at Briarhill Shopping Centre, currently home to KFC Galway.

The drive through restaurant was selected in this particular category from 134 projects submitted to the RIAI.

The judging panel comments reflected an understanding of the site context “With the unlikely brief of a drive-through restaurant, this project has, through a thoughtful choice of materials; rigorous control of proportion and careful making of openings achieved a satisfying result in a fragmented and chaotic suburban location”.

Paul commented: “This is a simple, robust and local architectural response to an ordinary everyday building type on a site surrounded by the roads and car parks. The buildings design responds to this immediate environment with a solid local stone base at street level, anchored to the site, and a refined glazed first floor. Its serves as a stage above a modern Irish landscape. Our client Liam Mulryan set us a simple but challenging brief when he asked us to incorporate a functional drive through restaurant on a narrow site in front of the existing Shopping Centre while at same contribute a positive public landmark on the edge of the roundabout. We achieved this through careful planning and detailing with excellent workmanship by Purcell Construction”.

Originally from Galway, Paul Dillon is a Registered Architect. He received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from New Your Institute of Technology and a Masters of Architecture from California State Polytechnical University, Pomona. He won the Richard Neutra Design Award for his Masters Thesis and has served as guest design critic at schools of architecture on a number of occasions. He established Paul Dillon Architects on returning to Galway, and the practice is currently working on a range of everyday projects. This commitment to the process of building had been previously recognised through numerous international publications, and a national award for Site 7, Briarhill Business Park.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Ray Monahan owner of Source Sligo has changed the face of Sligo town. His newest venture Source Sligo offers great food, a relaxed wine bar and a cookery school worthy of a day trip or overnight treat. Grab a copy of today's Sunday Business Post to read more.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The word terroir is usually associated with winemaking: the combination of factors, including soil, climate, and environment, that gives a wine its distinctive character. In this case however we refer to the terroir of food. A terroir-based restaurant, Aniar, is soon to open in Galway.

Owned and operated by Jp McMahon and Drigín Gaffey who brought us Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar, Aniar has set the hearts of foodies racing in anticipation.

The kitchen will be run by Enda McEvoy of Cook Wild Project and former Head Chef of Sheridan’s on the Docks. He explains the philosophy of Aniar, “The food will be based on our terroir, the ensemble of natural influences that give a food a sense of place. Here in the west we are surrounded by lush ancient woodland, bountiful shorelines, thriving farmlands all heaving with some of the best ingredients in Europe but unique to us. We hope to reveal and utilise our terroir. We will quite simply obey the seasons and let nature decide our menu”.

Recently returned from Noma, the Danish restaurant, voted the World’s Best Restaurant 2011, Enda McEvoy will be following the Noma philosophy of working closely with local producers while also gathering wild herbs, plants and seaweeds each day from the woodlands and seashore around the area to produce a cuisine based around light clean flavours.

Light sauces and stocks, properly reared animals (utilizing all of the animal), sustainably caught fish with an eye to the future of the fishing industry and evolving with the seasons using vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries, either from the wild or cultivated, all encompass the Aniar philosophy. The Chefs will pickle and brine as much as is bountiful during the spring and summer to see the restaurant through the winter. They will use modern culinary techniques to obtain the best out of the ingredients, but will never lose sight of the integrity of the product.

Their wine list features over 40 wines produced by small artisan wine producers who also take their “terroir” into great consideration. “When writing the wine list”, Jp explains, “I wanted our philosophy of food to leak into the wine menu”. Over 20 wines will be available by the glass to allow customers to experience the diversity of wine on a global level.

The food and wine will be presented and served in a relaxed, contemporary, brassiere type environment, ignoring the formalities of fine dining. Drigín Gaffey says, “We promise friendly informed service, in a warm welcome environment”.

Jp, Drigín and Enda have been friends for many years and are very excited about sharing their philosophy about food and their passion about allowing quality ingredients to ‘speak for themselves’.

Good food cooked properly in comfortable surrounding.

Aniar is due to open June 29th in 53 Dominick Street, Galway’s West End. Advance bookings can be made by emailing aniarrestaurant@gmail.com

Thursday, June 16, 2011

We’re on the hunt for an intern who craves challenge, experience and an outlet for creativity. Working in an agency environment this internship is fast moving and will require a flexible can-do attitude. Mature, professional and hard working applicants only.

You will be working on a number of accounts and will take the lead on certain projects. This internship will provide invaluable hands-on experience however you must be willing to put in the time and commitment.

Tasks will include: social media management, copy writing, digital marketing, reporting, time logging, internal sales and marketing, plus a myriad of other tasks.

Making coffee will not be below you and writing a proposal will not be above you.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Jp McMahon, head chef and owner of Cava Restaurant has launched an initiative to reintroduce nose to tail dining. Ox tail, trotters and liver may conjure up images of old however there are many more possibilities for delicious contemporary dishes from lesser known cuts.

Jp explains “The Spanish tend to cook with more off cuts and offal then we, the Irish, do. Offal is much more economical then the popular cuts and, prepared properly, can be even more delicious. Once we can overcome our squeamish preconceptions tongue, heart, ham hock, pigs cheeks and ears can all become as everyday as our steak and chicken breasts.”

Using off-cuts generally takes a bit more preparation and cooking time. The chefs in Cava confit pork belly for 10 hours, so as to make it mouth watering tender. The pig cheeks are cooked for 3 to 4 hours. Some cuts however, like liver and kidneys, can be cooked quite quickly—pan-fired in a knob of foaming butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Offal goes superbly with Cava’s own piquillo pepper sauce, which can be purchased in the restaurant.

When purchasing offal from your local butcher Jp recommends looking using a local specialty butcher who will be able to explain to you the best way to use certain cuts. Also, look for Fergus Henderson’s book Nose to Tail Eating or The Fifth Quarter: An Offal Cookbook by Anissa Helou.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A new 8 week course dedicated to the production of artisan food has been launched by Source Sligo Cookery School. The course, ‘Cooking For Business and Pleasure’, is offered to those with a passion for food and a desire to make this into a sustainable business.

The course content primarily explores the production of local foods from plant to plate and farm to fork, and how to market and sell your produce. Course Director and Cookery School Manager, Eithna O’Sullivan explains “The course has a specific focus on the practical skills required to become a local food producer. It was developed for people with a lifelong passion, people looking for a change in career, or simply those looking to further their education. We will spend a number of weeks on practical cooking skills from stocks and sauces through to meats and smoking processes. The production modules look at product development, legislation and food safety while the business modules include customer care, financial management and marketing”.

Source Sligo Cookery School is located on the top floor of Source Sligo, the impressive three-storey restaurant, wine bar and cookery school set in the heart of Sligo town. An ethos that drives Source Sligo - that of sourcing local, quality and seasonal produce, will be echoed throughout the course.

Graduates will be awarded with a Fetac Level 5 in Food Processing, EHOA Primary Food Hygiene Certification, Wine Appreciation Certificate and a HACCP Certification. The course has been developed in conjunction with local well known Sligo food producers, EHOA, Oonagh Monahan, AlphaOmega, ICBE and the Begin Again Program.

Limited number of places available. The first course starts 18th July with a second course commencing on 19th September.

Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar in Galway have just launched The Cava Kitchen Range. The range of handmade sauces, condiments and tapenades all feature on the popular Spanish Restaurant’s menu and are now available to buy in the restaurant.

Each item is prepared in the busy Cava kitchen and stays true to the flavor and quality served in the restaurant. 20% off all items from the Cava Kitchen Range sold during the month of May will be donated to The Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

For more information on Cava and The Cava Kitchen Range see www.CavaRestaurant.ie

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